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Spectre (2015 film)
Spectre will be the twenty-fourth [https://www.wikiwand.com/en/James_Bond_in_film James Bond film] produced by Eon Productions. It will feature Daniel Craig in his fourth performance as James Bond,[3] and Christoph Waltz as Franz Oberhauser, the film's antagonist.[4][5] It wasDIRECTED by Sam Mendes as his second James Bond film following''Skyfall, and was written by John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Jez Butterworth. The story features James Bond's first encounter with the global criminal agency known as SPECTRE, marking the organisation's first appearance in an Eon Productions film since 1971's ''Diamonds Are Forever.[N 1] Spectre is scheduled to be released on 26 October 2015 in the United Kingdom on the same night as the world premiere in London,[6] followed by a worldwide release.[7][8] Premise Following her death at the hands of Raoul Silva, M leaves James Bond a final assignment that will see him come face-to-face with the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE. While Gareth Mallory, the newly appointed M, continues fighting political pressures that threaten the future of MI6 in the face of a global surveillance initiative code-named "Nine Eyes", Bond discovers that the only way to unravel the web of conspiracy is toPROTECT Madeliene Swann, the innocent daughter of a powerful enemy. Following a trail from Mexico to Italy, Austria and Morocco, he is forced to operate outside his purview as he is drawn into a confrontation with an enemy from his past.[5][9] Cast Christoph Waltz will play Franz Oberhauser, the film's villain.*Daniel Craig as James Bond, agent 007. The director Sam Mendes has described Bond as being extremely focused in Spectre, likening his new-found dedication to hunting.[10] *Christoph Waltz as Franz Oberhauser, a mysterious figure within SPECTRE who claims a personal connection to Bond.[5] *Léa Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann, a psychologist working at aPRIVATE MEDICAL clinic in the Austrian Alps,[11] and the daughter ofMr. White.[12] *Ben Whishaw as Q, the MI6 quartermaster who outfits Bond with equipment for use in the field.[13] *Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, a former agent who left the field to become M's assistant.[13] *Dave Bautista as Mr. Hinx, an assassin and a high-ranking member of SPECTRE.[14] *Monica Bellucci as Lucia Sciarra, the widow of an assassin killed by Bond.[15] *Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory, the head of MI6 and Bond's superior who is better-known by his code-name, M.[1] *Andrew Scott as Max Denbigh, a member of the British government,[5] who is also known by his code-name, C.[9] *Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner, the MI6 Chief of Staff.[16] *Jesper Christensen as Mr. White,[17][18] a fugitive from MI6 and a senior figure in the Quantum organisation. *Alessandro Cremona as Marco Sciarra,[19] a notorious criminal and the husband of Lucia Sciarra.[5] Production Copyright status ×Ads by RandomPriceThe ownership of the SPECTRE organisation and its characters had been at the centre of long-standing litigation starting in 1961 betweenIan Fleming and Kevin McClory over the film rights to the novel''Thunderball. The dispute began after Fleming incorporated elements of an undeveloped film script written by McClory and screenwriter Jack Whittingham—including characters and plot points—into ''Thunderball, which McClory contested in court, claiming ownership over elements of the novel.[20] In 1963 Fleming settled out of court with McClory, in an agreement which awarded McClory the film rights. This enabled him to become a producer for the 1965 film''Thunderball—with Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman as executive producers—and the non-canonical film ''Never Say Never Again, an updated remake of''Thunderball'', in 1983.[N 2] A second remake, entitled Warhead 2000 A.D., was planned for production and release in the 1990s before being abandoned.[22] Under the terms of the 1963 settlement, the literary rights stayed with Fleming, allowing the SPECTRE organisation and associated characters to continue appearing in print.[23] In November 2013 MGM and the McClory estate formally settled the issue with Danjaq, LLC—the parent company of Eon Productions—with MGM acquiring the full copyright film rights to the concept of SPECTRE and all of the characters associated with it.[24] Pre-production Sony Pictures Entertainment hack In November 2014 Sony Pictures Entertainment was targeted by hackers who released details of confidential e-mails between Sony executives regarding several high-profile film projects. Included within these were several memos relating to the production of Spectre claiming that the film was over budget, detailing early drafts of the script written by John Loganand expressing Sony's frustration with the project.[25] Eon Productions later issued a statement confirming the leak of what they called "an early version of the screenplay".[26] Source material Despite being an original story, Spectre draws on Ian Fleming's source material, most notably in the character of Franz Oberhauser, played by Christoph Waltz. Oberhauser shares his name with Hannes Oberhauser, a background character in the short story "Octopussy" from the Octopussy and The Living Daylights collection, and who is named in the film as having been a temporary legal guardian of a young Bond in 1983.[27] Similarly, Charmian Bond is shown to have been his full-time guardian, observing the back story established by Fleming.[27] With the acquisition of the rights to SPECTRE and its associated characters, screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Waderevealed that the film will provide a minor retcon to the continuity of the previous films, with the Quantum organisation alluded to in Casino Royale and introduced in Quantum of Solace reimagined as a division within SPECTRE rather than an independent organisation.[28] Casting At the age of 50, Monica Bellucci became the oldest actor to be cast as a "Bond girl". The main cast were revealed in December 2014 at the 007 Stage atPinewood Studios. Daniel Craig returns for his fourth appearance as James Bond, while Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishawreprise their roles as M, Eve Moneypenny and Q respectively, having been established in Skyfall. Rory Kinnear will also reprise his role as Bill Tanner in his third appearance in the series.[13] Christoph Waltz was cast in the role of Franz Oberhauser, though he refused to comment on the nature of the part. Dave Bautista was cast as Mr. Hinx after producers sought an actor with a background in contact sports.[29] After casting Bérénice Lim Marlohe, a relative newcomer, as Sévérine in Skyfall, Mendes consciously sought out a more experienced actor for the role of Madeleine Swann, ultimately casting Léa Seydoux in the role.[30] Monica Bellucci joined the cast as Lucia Sciarra, becoming, at the age of fifty, the oldest actor to be cast as a "Bond girl". In a separate interview with Danish website Euroman,Jesper Christensen revealed he will be reprising his role as Mr. White from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.[17][18] Christensen's character was reportedly killed off in a scene intended to be used as an epilogue to Quantum of Solace before it was removed from the final cut of the film, enabling his return in Spectre.[31] In addition to the principal cast, Alessandro Cremona was cast as Marco Sciarra, Stephanie Sigman was cast as Estrella, and Detlef Bothewas cast as a villain for scenes shot in Austria.[19][32][33] In February 2015 over fifteen hundred extras wereHIRED for the pre-title sequence set in Mexico, though they will be duplicated in the film, giving the effect of around ten thousand extras.[34][35][36][37] Crew Sam Mendes returned as director. In March 2013 Mendes said he would not return toDIRECT the next film in the series, then known as Bond 24;[38][39] he later recanted and announced that he would return, as he found the script and the plans for the long-term future of the franchise appealing.[40] InDIRECTINGSkyfall and Spectre, Mendes became the first director to oversee two consecutive Bond films since John Glen directed The Living Daylights''and ''Licence to Kill in 1987 and 1989. Skyfall writer John Logan resumed his role of scriptwriter,[41] collaborating with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who returned for their sixth Bond film.[N 3] The writer Jez Butterworth also worked on the script, alongside Mendes and Craig.[43]Dennis Gassner will also return as the film's production designer,[44]while cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema will take over from Roger Deakins.[44][45] In July 2015 Mendes noted that the combined crew of''Spectre'' numbered over one thousand, making it a larger production than Skyfall.[46] Craig is listed as co-producer.[1] Filming Mendes revealed that production would begin on 8 December 2014 at Pinewood Studios, with filming taking seven months.[47] Mendes also confirmed several filming locations, including London, Mexico City andRome. Van Hoytema shot the film on Kodak 35 mm filmSTOCK.[48]Early filming took place at Pinewood Studios, and around London, with scenes variously featuring Craig and Harris at Bond's flat, and Craig and Kinnear travelling down the River Thames.[49] ×Ads by RandomPriceFilming started in Austria in December 2014, with production taking in the area around Sölden—including the Ötztal Glacier Road, Rettenbach glacier and the adjacent ski resort and cable car station—and Obertilliach and Lake Altaussee before concluding in February 2015.[50][4][51] Scenes filmed in Austria centred on the Ice Q Restaurant, standing in for the fictional Hoffler Klinik, a private medical clinic in the Austrian Alps. Filming included an action scene featuring a Land Rover Defender Bigfoot and a Range Rover Sport.[52] Production was temporarily halted first by an injury to Craig, who sprained his knee whilst shooting a fight scene,[53] and later by an accident involving a filming vehicle that saw three crew members injured, at least one of them seriously.[54][55] After being cancelled in 2012, the Jaguar C-X75 was recommissioned to appear in Spectre.The Aston Martin DB10 is driven by Bond in the film Filming temporarily returned to England to shoot scenes at Blenheim Palace inOxfordshire, which stood in for a location in Rome,[56] before moving on to the city itself for a five-week shoot across the city, with locations including the Ponte Sisto bridge and the Roman Forum.[57] The production faced opposition from a variety of special interest groups and city authorities who were concerned about the potential for damage to historical sites around the city and problems with graffiti and rubbish appearing in the film.[58][59] A car chase scene set along the banks of the Tiber River and through the streets of Rome will feature an Aston Martin DB10 and a Jaguar C-X75.[52] The C-X75 was originally developed as a hybrid electric vehicle with four independent battery-powered engines before the project was cancelled,[60] but the version used for filming was converted to use a conventional internal combustion engine to minimise the potential for disruption from mechanical problems with the complex hybrid system. The C-X75s used for filming were developed by the engineering division of Formula One racing team Williams, who built the original C-X75 prototype for Jaguar.[61] Filming shut down Mexico City's central plaza, the Zócalo, in March 2015. With filming completed in Rome, production moved to Mexico City in late March to shoot the film's opening sequence, with scenes to include the Day of the Dead festival filmed in and around the Zócaloand the Centro Histórico district.[62] The planned scenes required the city square to be closed for filming a sequence involving a fight aboard a Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 150 helicopter flown by stunt pilotChuck Aaron,[63] which called for modifications to be made to several buildings to prevent damage.[64] This particular scene in Mexico required 1,500 extras, 10 giant skeletons and 250,000 paper flowers.[65]Reports in the Mexican media added that the film's second unit would move to Palenque in the state of Chiapas to film aerial manoeuvres considered too dangerous to shoot in an urban area.[66] Following filming in Mexico, and during a scheduled break, Craig was flown to New York to undergo minor surgery to fix hisKNEE INJURY. It was reported that filming was not affected and he had returned to filming at Pinewood Studios as planned on 22 April.[67] ×Ads by RandomPriceA brief shoot at London's City Hall was filmed on 18 April 2015, while Mendes was on location.[68] On 17 May 2015 filming took place on the Thames in London. Stunt scenes involving Craig and Seydoux on a speedboat as well as a low flying helicopter near Westminster Bridgewere shot at night, with filming temporarily closing both Westminster and Lambeth Bridges.[69] Scenes were also shot on the river near MI6's headquartersat Vauxhall Cross.[70] The crew returned to the river less than a week later to film scenes solely set on Westminster Bridge. The London Fire Brigade was on set to simulate rain as well as monitor smoke used for filming. Craig, Seydoux, and Waltz as well as Harris and Fiennes were seen being filmed.[71] Prior to this, scenes involving Fiennes were shot at a restaurant in Covent Garden.[72] Filming then took place inTrafalgar Square.[73] In early June, the crew, as well as Craig, Seydoux, and Waltz returned to the Thames for a final time to continue filming scenes previously shot on the river.[74] After wrapping up in England, Production travelled to Morocco in June, with filming taking place in Oujda, Tangier and Erfoud after preliminary work was completed by the production's second unit.[75] Principal photography concluded on 5 July 2015. A wrap-up party for Spectre was held in commemoration before entering post-production.[76] Filming took 128 days.[77] Taxation benefits controversy Whilst filming in Mexico City, speculation in the media claimed that the script had been altered to accommodate the demands of Mexican authorities—reportedly influencing details of the scene and characters, casting choices, and modifying the script in order to portray the country in a "positive light"—in order toSECURE tax concessions and financial support worth up to $20 million for the film.[78] This was denied by producer Michael G. Wilson,[78] who stated that the scene had always been intended to be shot in Mexico as production had been attracted to the imagery of the Day of the Dead, and that the script had been developed from there.[79] Production of Skyfall had previously faced similar problems while attempting toSECURE permits to shoot the film's pre-title sequence in India before moving to Istanbul.[80][81] Music Thomas Newman returned as Spectre‍ 's composer.[44] Rather than composing the score once the film had moved into post-production, Newman worked during filming.[37] The theatrical trailer released in July 2015 contained a rendition of John Barry's On Her Majesty's Secret Service theme.[82][83] Mendes revealed that the final film would have more than one hundred minutes of music.[46] In September 2015 it was announced that Sam Smith and regular collaborator Jimmy Napes has written the film's title theme, "Writing's on the Wall", with Smith performing it for the film.[84] The song was released later that same month where it received mixed reviews from critics and fans, particularly in comparison to Adele's "Skyfall".[85][86][87] It became the first Bond theme to reach number one in the UK Singles Chart.[88] Release and reception Spectre will have its world premiere in London on 26 October 2015, the same day as its general release in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.[89] It is due to be released worldwide on 6 November 2015.[8]FOLLOWING THEannouncement of the start of filming, Paramount Pictures brought forward the release of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation to avoid competing with Spectre.[90] In March 2015 IMAX corporation announced that Spectre would be screened in its cinemas, following Skyfall‍ 's success with the company.[91] In the UK it is set to receive a wider release than Skyfall, releasing across a minimum of 647 cinemas including 40 IMAX screens in comparison to Skyfall‍ 's 587 locations and 21 IMAX screens.[92] Critical reception Early reviews for Spectre have been mostly positive.[93] Critics praised the film's opening scene, action sequences and stuntwork. The film received favourable comparisons with Skyfall.[94] Rotten Tomatoes sampled 32 reviewers and judged 84% of the critiques to be positive, saying that the film, "... nudges Daniel Craig's rebooted Bond closer to the glorious, action-driven spectacle of earlier entries, although it's admittedly reliant on established 007 formula."[95] On Metacritic the film has a rating of 69 out of 100 from 11 critics,INDICATING broadly favourable reviews.[96] Marketing ×Ads by RandomPriceDuring the December 2014 press conference announcing the start of filming, Aston Martin and Eon unveiled the new DB10 as the official car for the film. The DB10 was designed in collaboration between Aston Martin and the filmmakers, with only ten being produced especially for Spectre as a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the company's association with the franchise.[97] To promote the film, production continued the trend established during Skyfall's production of releasing still images of clapperboards and video blogs on Eon's official social mediaACCOUNTS.[98][99] On 13 March 2015 several members of the cast and crew, including Craig, Whishaw, Wilson and Mendes, as well as the previous James Bond actor Sir Roger Mooreappeared in a sketch written by David Walliams and the Dawson Brothers for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day on BBC One in which they film a behind-the-scenes mockumentary on the filming of Spectre.[100][101] The first teaser trailer for Spectre was released worldwide in March 2015,[102] followed by the theatrical trailer in July[103] and the final trailer in October.[104] Category:Upcoming films Category:English-language films Category:2010s action thriller films Category:2010s adventure films Category:2010s spy films Category:2015 films Category:British films Category:British thriller films Category:Columbia Pictures films Category:Film scores by Thomas Newman Category:Films directed by Sam Mendes Category:Films produced by Barbara Broccoli Category:Films produced by Michael G. Wilson Category:Films shot in Austria Category:Films shot in England Category:Films shot in London Category:Films shot in Mexico Category:Films shot in Morocco Category:Films shot in Rome Category:James Bond films Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Category:Pinewood Studios films Category:Screenplays by John Logan